Art Berke, a lifelong White Sox fan, has worked at the highest levels of the sports industry with Major League Baseball, ABC Television and Sports Illustrated. He grew up in Northwest Indiana, in the shadow of old Comiskey Park, and proudly proclaims 2005 as the best year of his life. Art offers his glass half-full opinions and observations as he lives and dies with the Sox.

Sox-wise and Otherwise

My weekly offseason musings about the White Sox and more…

* The Winter Meetings are always a fun time of the year as baseball fans look forward to a lot of wheeling and dealing. That said, most years the Meetings are a disappointment and fans are left wanting more. Kenny Williams has made some significant deals already for 2010–trading for Jake Peavy and Alex Rios during the season and acquiring Mark Teahen, Omar Vizquel and Andruw Jones. So it’s hard to say if Sox fans will be rewarded with any significant new additions during the Meetings next week in Indianapolis. Let’s hope so. It’s always a letdown when we go away empty-handed.* There’s one more reason I’m looking forward to this year’s Meetings. My friend of almost 40 years, New York Daily News baseball writer Bill Madden, is one of three candidates for the Spink Award, the writers’ version of induction into the Hall of Fame. Aside from being one of the most influential writers, no one loves baseball as much as Billy. Hoping he gets good news next Tuesday in Indy.

* There is a terrific piece by Scott Merkin on the Sox website about the excitement the Sox have over their 2009 draft picks. Among those cited as having a fast track to the Cell are speedy, multi-tool outfielders Jared Mitchell, the first round pick, and Trayce Thompson, the son of basketball’s Mychal, plus catcher Josh Phegley out of my alma mater Indiana University. Others mentioned are lefthanded pitcher David Holmberg and rightys Matt Heidenreich, Kyle Bellamy, Justin Collop and Ryan Buch. Go to whitesox.com to read the entire story.

* The Chicago Tribune‘s Phil Rogers quotes Sox farm director Buddy Bell as saying he’s very high on Cuban-born prospect Dayan Viciedo, who spent his first pro season in the states with Birmingham. “One of our biggest concerns with him was the culture,” Bell told Rogers. “The kid turned out to be maybe the best teammate we had at Birmingham…he’s a great kid.”

Viciedo, just 20-years-old, hit .280 and stroked 12 homers in 2009. Bell feels all he needs is more experience to become a bonafide major leaguer. “He’ll figure it out,” Bell said. “He’s so strong. He’s going to be a good big-league hitter.” Rogers added that the Sox look at Viciedo, up to now a third baseman, as a corner infielder/DH.

* Tiger, you fessed up, but it was too late. A third attempt doesn’t work. You should have come out of the gate with the truth. Ask the folks I’ve worked with, my PR philosophy has always been: “The truth will set you free.”

* Sports Illustrated, my alma mater, made a very wise choice by selecting Derek Jeter as its Sportsman of the Year. Despite being a Yankee, he’s everything a ballplayer should be. Even our own Ozzie Guillen, has referred to him publicly as “God.” The Florida Gators’ TimTebow would have been my runnerup.

* Spunky Sox fan Seymour Berke could be home by the end of the year. Crossing my fingers.

Meta

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.